The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 15, 1997
Filed:
Jun. 07, 1995
Romulo A Prieto, Northville, MI (US);
Daniel C Wei, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Bor-Liang Chen, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Hayes Wheels International, Inc., Romulus, MI (US);
Abstract
A multi-piece wheel mold defining a mold cavity having a wheel rim cavity and a wheel disc cavity includes a large mass of metal adjacent to the outboard end of the wheel rim cavity and a small mass of metal adjacent to the inboard end of the wheel rim cavity. The mold also includes tapered side segments having a portion adjacent to the inboard end of the wheel rim cavity which is formed from a metal having a first conductivity of heat transfer. The side segments further have a second portion adjacent to the outboard end of the wheel rim cavity which is formed from a second metal having a second conductivity of heat transfer which is greater than the conductivity of heat transfer of the first portion. Molten metal in the mold cavity initially begins to solidify in the outboard end of the wheel rim cavity. Solidification of the molten metal then proceeds simultaneously in an axial direction across the wheel rim cavity towards the inboard end of the wheel rim and in a radial direction across the wheel disc cavity towards the center of wheel disc.